How to Achieve Redemption as a Scot Through the Medium of Braveheart

Random and redemptive contemplation on what it means to be a Scot

Rachael Clerke is in need of redemption. You see, a couple of years ago, she denied ever being a Scot. She was ashamed of her Scottishness - the tartan, the kilts, the coos - until an encounter with a Turkish friend changed her perception of how others view Scots. Now, she’s on a quest for redemption, and she’s taking the audience with her. Part-lecture (there’s a slideshow, but it’s a good one), part-comedy, part-theatrical performance, Clerke is quirky, sparky and energetic.

She’s out to find answers, starting with a number of figures that she thinks might help her feel more akin to her home country. Donald Trump doesn’t quite do it, nor does Alex Salmond, but as the show draws to an end, it seems the answer might just lie in a certain historically-inaccurate film about Scotland.

This is an unpredictable show from a fearless young performer. Not content with rolling down a sand dune dressed as Trump, or boogieing along to The Proclaimers as Salmond, she also manages to raise a cheer from fans at Ibrox as she attempts to recreate that famous Braveheart scene using just a bike and a hell of a lot of gusto.